Gas cylinder holder



July 23, B L; MOCABE GAS CYLINDER HOLDER Filed Jan. 8, 1945 F IE E1 INVENTOR.

BERNARD L. we CABE ATTORN EYS.

a unit of assembled tanks;

Patented July 23, 1946 Bernard L. McCabe, Daly City, Calif., assignor-to StuartOxygen Co., a corporation of California ApplicationJanuary 8, 1945, Serial No. 571,939

I i This invention'relates to devices for assembling a plurality of gas tanks'so that'the assembly can be used, maintained, and manually moved as a unit.

Large amounts of gasesare often required for various operations', and such gases are conventionally supplied in portable, elongated metal tanks. Such gases are often under pressures of the orderof about 2000 pounds per square inch, which necessitates thick walled tanks which are consequently quite heavy. ,A single tank frequently, contains an unsufiicient supply where the gases are used extensively, necessitating the use of a plurality of such tanks.

Objectsof this invention are, to provide devices for assembling groups of such tanks, which will make it easy to handle the groups as units-provideraised portions to accommodate'the flanges of hand trucks and the like, bindthe tanks firmly and safely into units, and afford safehand holds for the workmen and protection for the valves and, appurtenant parts used with such tanks, and other objects willhe apparent after reading this specification.

A preferred exemplification of the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof; on which the different figures are not necessarily drawn to the same scale; On such drawing 7 Figure 1 is a front elevation ofthe holder;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2'-'2 on Figure 1, with parts removed'andwith tanks in place;

Figure 3 is a Figure 4 is a. plan view of'a'det aih; and

view

Figure 5 is an exploded The invention is illustrated as for handling four tanks l I. They ordinarily are eachequipped with r another detail.

a valve I2 for controlling the exit 'of compressed gas therefrom. The tank holder comprises a bottom member 13 conveniently formed of'a metal plate upon which the assembled tanks are'to rest and which is dished downwardly inwardly from the periphery, as at I4. This provides a downwardly protruding part upon which the holder, either with or without tanks thereon, can stand upright with the outer portion of the bottom I3 raised abovethe floor or other support. Carried by thebottom member is an upright member I5 which may conveniently be a metal pipe. Four plates 16 comprising arms are fixedly ttachedtov the upright ii to. project radially therefrom at ninety degrees apart, and also to the undished peripheral part of the bottom l3. Bolts H are side view of a hand truck carrying 6 Claims. (Cl. 211-71).

attached to the plates .l6 and project radially of the upright l5. Plates 20 are fixedly attached to the upright l5 above the plates Hi at angles of ninety degrees apart, and project radially therei from similarly to the plates I6, each of the plates 20 being directly over'a corresponding plate It and projecting in the same direction. Bolts 2!,

similarly to the bolts H, are attached to the plates 20.

The tanks II are assembled, preferably one within each angle formed by the plates l6 and 20, whereupon straps 22, 23 are placed about the group of tanks with the bolts l1 extending through perforations in the Strap 22 and the bolts 2| extending through perforations in the strap 23. Nuts 24 and 25 are then placed onthe bolts l'! and 2|, respectively; and turned to draw the straps tightly about the tanks. V I

If the straps used are notendlessfa special holding meansis preferred for the two ends thereof, as shown on Figure 5. The two ends 26 of a strap have each a perforation 21, and are slipped over a bolt 30 which is exteriorly unthreaded and smooth at 3| adjacent its head, but

is otherwise threaded ext'eriorly, The strap ends are positioned on such smooth part 3|, and'a nut 32" is-turned onthe bolt to hold the strapends at such smooth part while permitting turning of the bolt. The bolt 3!] is hollow and has interior threads 32a which fit on the threads of the bolts ,l'! (and 2i). Turning the bolt Waiter fitting it onto the end of the bolt I! (or 2 I j results in tightening the straps, in the same manner as when the bolts 24 or 25 are tightened) With the unit standing-"upright onthe dished portion 14, a hand truck 33hr the like can be usedto'transport it; The lip or flange 34 of the truck is run under the raised outer portion of the bottom 53, whereupon the unit is pulled into the position on the truck shown on Figure 3. The loadedtruck' is then'moved to the desired place, and tilted upwardly to contact the downwardly projecting bottom portion is with the floor and the truck removed. A rail'fi'i is provided which can be grasped by the workman to aid in loading and unloading the assembly onto and off the truck. This rail does not extend-in any'direction asf'ar outwardly asthe tank-s as 'seenon Figure 2, as a. matter of' safetyytoayoid any possibility of the workmans hand being crushed between the rail" and a'wall "or other object adjacent to which the assembly is being positioned. Such rail wm remam'rar enough away from suchwallto. prevent his hand being crushed between the wall" and the rail. The handrail 36 is at the level of valves can be opened at the'sametime.

holder. 7

the valves l2, to serve, not only as a safe means for handling the unit, but also to protect the valves from injury by striking a wall or other object during handling. Injury t the bolts I!v and 2| and to the threads thereon, and to the bolt 30, is similarly prevented by having such bolts stop short of the plane connecting the outermost parts of adjacent cylinders.

At the upper end of the upright I5 is attached a Y-shaped member 3'! preferably formed of two bent members 38 having bent flanges 3S and attached oppositely to each other at the ,top' of 7 the upright l5.

in a diametrically extending plate 42 which is attached at its ends to thehand, rail ,36. Plates 43 are attached at their ends to the hand rail and the plate 42, and extend diametrically and at right angles to the plate 42. The described con-'' struction holds the rail 36 firmly in'place. An eyei45 is connected. to the upperparts of the flanges 39 by any suitable means; for example,

by rivets 43apassing through the ends of the V eyeand through the flange 39, the rivets being held :in place by cotter pins 43b. The eye can serve for lifting the holder either with or with out tanks assembled thereon.

It is generally preferred that connections or pigtails 44 lead from the valves on eachtank to a master valve .4511 which can control the outflow of gas from, any number or all of the tanks of an assembled unit; 'The valve 45a is ordinarily protected by a screw cap 46 when gasris not being used and isremoved when gas is to be used. For usingthe gas, the valve 45a is opened, as is the individual valve l2 of a cylinder or tank H, and when the pressure drops below a desired amount the individual valve of another tank is opened} tain other details have been referred to merely V as illustrative and may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. r Y

The invention claimed ls: 1 r I 1. In a holder comprising an upright, arms extending outwardly from said upright atdifferent angles to points-short of a straight line between outermost parts of adjacent articles which are adapted to be heldby said holder, a strap connected to said arms and adapted to pass around" the outside of an assembly of articles adapted to be held, and means to draw said strap toward an arm into position to hold an assembly of articles on said holder.

2. In a holder comprising an upright, arms 7 extending outwardly from said upright at difierent angles to accommodate articles to be held between them, said arms extending to a distance lessthan the outermost parts of the articles adapted to be held, a strap connected to said armsand adapted to pass around said articles, and means to draw said strap in between said articles into position to 'hold said articles on said The divergent parts and the flanges 39 extend th'rough and fit perforations 4| 3. A holder for elongated articles, comprising a bottom plate having a central downwardly dished portion and a relatively raised peripheral portion, radially extending vertical plates at: tached to the raised portion, an upright attached to the inner ends of the plates, vertical plates above and spaced from said first mentioned plates attached to the 'uprightand extending radially therefrom in the same directions as the first mentioned plates; outwardly extending bolts on the plates, straps adapted to pass around articlesbe- "tween the plates at the levels'of upper and lower bolts,- the straps having holes to permit slipping them over the bolts, the bolts extending to points short of lines connecting outermost parts of ad- 'jacent articles when positioned between the plates, and nuts on the said bolts to retain the straps. I -4. -'A holder for elongated articles, comprising a bottom plate having'a central downwardly dished portion and a relatively raised portion, V

radially. extending vertical plates attached tothe V raised portion, an uprightattached to the inner ends of the vertical plates, vertical plates above and-spaced from the first mentioned plates attached to the upright and extending radially. therefrom in the same directions as the first mentioned plates, outwardly extending bolts on the plates, straps adapted to pass around articles.

when between .plates at the levels of upper and lower bolts, the straps having holes to permit slipping them over the bolts, the bolts extending to points short of lines connecting outermost parts of adjacent articleswhen between plates, and nuts on said bolts to retain the straps, at least one of said bolts at each levelhaving a smooth-portion to accommodate perforated ends of said straps. I w

'5.'A holder for gas. cylinders having valves,

comprisinga bottom'plate having'a central downwardly dished portion anda planar peripheral portion, radially extending vertical plates attached to the planar portion, an upright attached to the inner ends of the vertical plates, second vertical plates above and spaced from the first mentioned plates attached to the upright and extending radially therefrom in the same directions as thefirst mentioned plates, outwardly extending bolts on the plates,straps adapted to pass around cylinders when between plates at the levels'of upper and lower bolts, the straps having holes to permit slipping them over the bolts, the. bolts extending to points short of lines connecting outermost parts of adjacent .cylinders when between plates, nuts on said bolts to retain the straps, a support on the upper part of theupright, a hand railon the support for manipulating V the holder,.--the hand rail being at the, level of the valveszto protect them and being completely within projections of straight lines between outermost parts of the cylinders when between plates.

6. In a holder adapted to receive a plurality of heavy gas cylinders, which cylinders are provided with projecting valve assemblies at their upper; ends; the combination of an upright, means on the .upright for retaining a plurality of such cylinders in fixed relation with respect, to'said upright, and an annular horizontal hand-' 7 rail carried by said uprightat its-upper end-in a position adapted to enclose the meansil a r 4 g BERNARD L. MCCABE;

projecting valve 7 assemblies of cylinders held-by saidretaining. 

